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My spouse and I share responsibility for paying the monthly bills. In the unfortunate event of one’s demise, the other will need to be able to log in to our accounts to keep our household running. It’s not just our shared accounts that need consideration; we also face the potentially long and frustrating process of shutting down individual bank accounts, social media accounts, video streaming service subscriptions, and many other online accounts after one of us dies or is otherwise incapacitated. Luckily, there are password managers with digital inheritance options, so we'll be able to access all of our accounts when the other one can't.
Giving a trusted person access to your password manager vault could be the most useful legacy you leave behind. To help you create a digital inheritance that's easy for your loved ones to use, I created a list of password managers that offer highly customizable or easy-to-use legacy options.
Password Apps With the Best Digital Legacy Options
Emergency access is a feature you'll find in most paid third-party password management apps. LogMeOnce is the only password manager I've reviewed that offers usable emergency access for free accounts, and it's on an individual-credential basis. If you want to transfer your entire LogMeOnce account to someone else after you die, you'll need to pay for a subscription first. Still, LogMeOnce has a very good digital inheritance system, and I'll describe it in more detail below.
The apps below aren't the only password managers with digital legacy settings. Editors' Choice award winner Proton Pass recently added emergency access features, and industry stalwarts like Bitwarden, Dashlane, LastPass, and RoboForm offer similar features for subscribers. The difference is that the apps described below have features that make it particularly easy to decide when and how to grant credential access to a trusted person.
Keeper
(Credit: Keeper/PCMag)To access Keeper's password inheritance settings, go to your account page and tap the Emergency Access button. Decide who you want to grant access to your vault, then enter the email addresses of up to five people. Keep in mind that your heirs will need to create their own Keeper account to access your passwords.
One interesting Keeper setting is the delay feature. If you are facing a long illness or have another reason to be concerned about your imminent demise, vault access automatically transfers to a trusted person after a specified period. Keeper also lets you revoke access if one of your appointees tries to get into your vault while you're still alive.
LogMeOnce
(Credit: LogMeOnce/PCMag)LogMeOnce has the most customizable digital legacy system of any password management app we've reviewed. You can designate emergency contacts and send each person a custom message with detailed instructions for using your credentials. It's a small addition, but it makes a big difference in eliminating the confusion of managing someone else's passwords.
Like Keeper, with LogMeOnce, you can choose how long to wait before sending the emergency access invitation to your heirs if you don't want them to get access right away for some reason. You can also choose how long the invitation is effective.
NordPass
(Credit: NordPass/PCMag)The digital legacy setting for Editors' Choice winner NordPass is pretty simple, yet effective. You can designate a trusted family member or friend as an "authorized user" from within the app's Settings menu. Authorized users can request access to your NordPass vault without knowing the master password. Be careful with this setting, though. If someone you trust requests access to your vault and you fail to decline the request within seven days, the person gets automatic access to your vault.
How to Keep Your Online Accounts Secure After You Die
A little preparation can go a long way toward making your digital legacy more accessible for your loved ones. When it comes to securing bank accounts or financial legacies, check in with your bank before it's too late. Banks must follow specific protocols when handling account terminations and the transfer of financial legacies. If you want to ensure someone can receive the money in one of your accounts after your death, name them as a beneficiary on the account or list them as a joint account holder. Giving someone your bank account password won't let them access your finances legally.
If you want to make shutting down your social accounts a little easier for your loved ones, do it for them! After all, you're probably the only person who can remember all of the online accounts you've created over the years (including the ones for lurking, I see you). Deleting accounts you no longer use prevents takeovers by scam artists who can resurrect your screen name, creating a so-called "zombie account" that uses your photos and profile to sell scammy products.
Take time today to download your data from a Facebook, Instagram, or X (Twitter) profile you don't use regularly. If you've been on these platforms for a long time, it may take up to 72 hours for the service to send you a link to download the file. After you have the file with all of your photos, posts, or videos from the social platform, delete the account. Not ready to let go of the account yet? Try setting the social profile to private mode, and then deleting or hiding any public posts.
I know this isn't a fun topic, but it's wise to keep this stuff in mind while you're still here. To help you make quick work of your digital legacy plan, check out our guide to preparing your online life for death.